Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall and the Hayward Gallery are now open. The Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room are open 90 minutes before an event until the end of the event.
The health of our visitors and staff remains our top priority. To find out about the measures we're taking to keep you safe, see below.
Out of respect for our staff and visitors, we ask that you bring a face covering and wear it inside our venues. You can collect an exemption badge from the entrance if you are unable to wear a mask.
Visitor info
We ask that you continue to wear face coverings inside our buildings. There's plenty of hand sanitiser available to keep your hands clean.
Here's what you need to know before you visit.
Our measures
We’re following the official government guidance on working safely during coronavirus. Measures we’ve introduced so far include:
- We ask that face coverings are worn inside our venues
- Staggered arrival times to Royal Festival Hall auditorium events to reduce crowding
- Hand sanitiser stations
- Regular and thorough cleaning of touch points
- 100% fresh air throughout the Royal Festival Hall and regular CO2 readings
- Going cash-free
We’ll continue to review and manage any risks and respond to any changes in the guidance, keeping our staff trained and up to date as we go.
Visitor numbers
We’re staggering arrival times for events in the Royal Festival Hall auditorium so that you can easily keep a safe distance from other ticket holders. Foyers are now open to all visitors.
When you book for the Hayward Gallery, you’re given a time slot to make sure that we keep to a safe number of people within the gallery.
Keep others safe
Out of respect for our staff and visitors, we ask that you bring a face covering and wear it inside our venues. You can collect an exemption badge from the entrance if you are unable to wear a mask.
Please, stay at home if you have symptoms of illness such as a cough, sore throat or fever or have tested positive for coronavirus. In this instance, get in touch with the Ticket Office at least 24 hours ahead of the performance for information on returns.
During your visit
To keep yourself and others safe, please:
- Wear a face covering
- Wherever possible, keep a safe distance from others
- Use the hand sanitiser provided
Face coverings
We ask that you collect an exemption badge from the entrance if you are unable to wear a face covering.
For example, if:
- You are a child under the age of 11
- You can't put on, wear or remove it because of a physical or mental illness, impairment or disability
- Putting on, wearing or removing it will cause you severe distress
- You are providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading to communicate
The Royal Festival Hall is open to all for access to the Level 2 foyers and toilets, Level 1 and Changing Places toilets, the National Poetry Library, Skylon, Riverside Terrace Cafe and Southbank Centre Shop at the following times:
Mondays & Tuesdays 10am – 6pm**
Wednesdays – Sundays 10am – 11pm
**On event days, the Royal Festival Hall building remains open until the end of the event.
Our address is: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX.
- The nearest tube and train stations within 5 – 7 minutes walk are Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines) and Embankment (District & Circle lines).
- There are also lots of bus routes with stops 2 – 5 minutes from our venues.
For more information on getting here by road, rail or river:
Pre-booking online is recommended. Check our website on the day for returns.
There’s no need to print your e-ticket – just show your phone to our Visitor Assistants on entry.
Some free events don't require a pre-booked ticket. Found an event labelled FREE on our website with no way to book? Simply turn up on the day.
If you don't receive your e-ticket
Check your spam folder for an email from [email protected] If you don’t receive your e-ticket within a few hours of booking, please get in touch.
Returns and exchanges
Tickets can be returned for a Credit Voucher, or can be exchanged for another performance if they are received by the Ticket Office at least 48 hours before the performance.
Please, stay at home if you have symptoms of illness such as a cough, sore throat or fever or have tested positive for coronavirus. In this instance, get in touch with the Ticket Office at least 24 hours ahead of the performance for information on returns.
Toilets
Toilets, including accessible toilets, are open on Level 2 of the Royal Festival Hall.
Cloakroom
The Royal Festival Hall cloakroom, situated on Level 1, is accessed via steps or platform lift from the Southbank Centre Square doors. It opens around 60 minutes before the start of any Royal Festival Hall show, and closes around 15 minutes after the performance ends.
The charge is £1 per item, which must be collected on the same day they are stored. Items left here are at the owner’s risk and we cannot accept any responsibility for loss or damage, from any cause, to items left in the cloakroom.
There may be short queues to enter our buildings, events and exhibitions. If you are not able to queue or need further assistance, our Visitor Assistants are here to help you.
We welcome wheelchair users and guide companion dogs.
More about Access & facilities
Our Access Scheme
If you have any access requirements, please sign up to our Access Scheme for discounts, wheelchair spaces, dedicated seats and free companion tickets. You can also join our mailing list to get news about accessible events and exhibitions.
Entering the Royal Festival Hall
For level access to the Royal Festival Hall, please use the external lift near the Artists' Entrance on Southbank Centre Square, Belvedere Road, to Level 2, and enter via Riverside Terrace. All floors are accessible from the main foyer.
Parking
Blue Badge holders and those with access requirements can be dropped off on the Queen Elizabeth Hall Slip Road off Belvedere Road (the road between the Royal Festival Hall and the Hayward Gallery).
There are four Blue Badge parking spaces available for visitors located on the Queen Elizabeth Hall Slip Road. Spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and are free to use. You must display your Blue Badge as you enter the site. Vehicles that do not display a Blue Badge are refused entry.
Blue Badge parking at National Theatre
Alternative parking for Blue Badge holders visiting the Southbank Centre can be found at the National Theatre car park (330 metres). If you are visiting the Hayward Gallery, just take your badge and car park ticket to the Ticket Desk in the gallery foyer for validation before you leave.
Please note: on Sunday when the National Theatre building is closed there is no step-free access from the car park.
Alternative parking is available nearby at the APCOA Cornwall Road Car Park (490 metres), subject to charges.
Blue Badge parking at APCOA Cornwall Road
Alternative parking for Blue Badge holders visiting the Southbank Centre can also be found at the South Bank Car Park – APCOA Cornwall Road Car Park. Just take your badge and car park ticket to the parking attendant office at the entrance to the car park for validation before you leave.
A drop-off point at the Royal Festival Hall (30 metres) has been created for visitors who are unable to walk from alternative car parks.
A selection of the restaurants and cafes on our site and the Southbank Centre Street Food market are now open.
Your privacy and NHS Test and Trace
If you visit us when our venues reopen, we will collect your data and some information about you so that we can take part in the NHS Test and Trace service and help prevent the spread of Covid-19. The government has asked organisations to do this in order to keep our visitors and employees safe.
Eat, drink, shop
We're happy to help with any questions you might have